


Legends of Achievementia

by arosecoloredsky



Series: Kings and Keepers [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Gavin-centric, King Geoff, Kings AU, M/M, Mad King Ryan, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, There will be ships, kings!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-16 13:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3490397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arosecoloredsky/pseuds/arosecoloredsky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavin Free has lived his entire life as a wanderer, and when you're a wanderer, you tend to need money. A small, undependable salary from package delivery just wasn't his thing, so Gavin scours the land for tales of valor, stories of great hunts, and the occasional romance. While chasing a mystery that would make him the best bard on earth, he manages to get wrapped up in a clash for succession, immortality, and Achievementia itself.</p><p>As time progresses, the struggle for power grows more complicated until no one is safe if they're crowned King.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kings' Crown

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work on AO3, and my first work for this fandom. Any constructive criticism is super-appreciated, and I hope you'll bear with me as I try to figure out how to use AO3. Thanks to HeroOfTheWinds for beta-ing, I make misakes often enough that this would be near impossible without you.

 Gavin trailed his hand up cold stone as he ascended the spiral staircase, absentmindedly following the young mage in front of him. They kept quiet- they’d been shushed and run out of the bottom floor of the church once it started to get late. They passed the shrine keepers’ quarters on the second level, then reached the roof.

 The duo walked out into the night along the deck. They moved towards the normal spot while the mage shivered against the chill. His companion sat down and slid his feet through the cast iron rails lining the small platform, and Gavin did the same before adjusting his own thin cloak. The air was rather cold tonight, he knew, but he really didn’t think much of it. Even if he hadn’t lived in actual tundra, he did grow up in Prodencia. To be honest, the weather there kind of- well, it sucked ass. The mage had bundled up quite well, and shook his head in something between exasperation and amusement when he saw Gavin’s scant protection from the chill.

 “Remind me again how you manage to survive on a day to day basis?” The mage asked with a chuckle.

 “Why would I die? At least I’m not sitting around waiting for a bear or a fire or something to eventually kill me off. Remind me how you lot manage to stave off death from boredom?

 The two fell back into easy conversation about Gavin’s journeys as a bard, the young mage’s (much less exciting, in Gavin’s opinion) studies, and how the village had been faring since Gavin’s last visit. As he’d told Gavin earlier in the night, the shrine had gotten a few more apprentices in the past couple months, so money was pretty tight. Gavin had nodded sympathetically, and he’d been even gladder that he remembered to bring the herbs that the shrine had requested, he’d learned they were rather pricey here.

 “So, how’s the mysterious tower project going?” The mage asked, changing the topic from what had been a riveting conversation about his accidents with the alchemy lab.

 “Not too well, actually. Everyone has a different version of what happened. They’re similar enough that I can’t even say they aren’t the same story.” He sighed “I just don’t understand how so many stories got around- There’s a tribe down south that thinks _farmers_ secretly hid away the tower. _Farmers_.” Gavin said, before whining “I just hadn’t expected it to be so hard.”

 The young man just chuckled, before continuing. “I don’t know what you _were_ expecting, then. If it were easy, every mage, bard and author alive would have done it before you. Here, let me see, maybe I can fill in some gaps.”

 Gavin dug around in his bag, pulling out a large, worn book. He opened the journal to the most recent pages and handed it to the mage.  
“It’s coming along, I just can’t figure out where the Kings’ Crown fits in. The people of the eastern islands are absolutely positive it’s magic, but they also think Achievementia is the home of the tower. Imagine that!”

 He laughed, and the young mage eyed him while fingering through the thin and yellowing pages.

 “I actually heard quite the story that claimed Achievementia did hold the tower.” The mage trailed off, watching as Gavin turned up to look at him.  
 “No way. Achievementia’s king is practically absent from his own life. There’s no way he could rule a country for centuries.” Gavin laughed. “Even a group of bandits could take the place over.”  
 “No, really. A man from the area came through town about a month ago. He told me a few stories after I let him know what you were up to. He seemed to think it was a fool’s errand, but he told me what his countrymen thought,” he explained with a sideways glance that Gavin just barely caught. “Apparently the king of Achievementia only leaves the castle once in a lifetime. No one has lived long enough to see more than one outing.”  
 Gavin raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a moment, scanning his face for any sign of a joke. Satisfied with what he saw -which was admittedly not a lot, Gavin wasn’t great at reading people’s faces- he hummed and asked “Did the story line up with the others, or is it just another one of the random conspiracy theories thought up by gossipping home-makers?”  
 “Do you think I’d even bring it up if it didn’t make sense? Come on Free, I thought you knew me better than that!”  
 “Right, like you’ve never told a tale out of your ass. So, can you tell me what it was about?”  
 “Of course, what else am I here for?” The young mage replied, handing Gavin the book. “You should take notes, or something.” He elaborated when Gavin frowned, “I’m not telling the entire thing again like last time.”

 “The story was about the tower, but it had a little about the crown that might fill in some gaps. Long, long ago,” He started, “There were four countries, divided by the seas. The north, south, east and west lands, the traveler said. Didn’t elaborate much. Three of the lands’ rulers met in secret, and planned to invade the fourth, the western nation. The western nation was by far the most powerful due to it’s plentiful resources. They agreed to split the resources and land evenly, and dispersed. A spy alerted the fourth King, and he waged war, destroying the other three nations.”  
 “Works with the others so far.” Gavin said as the mage paused for breath.  
 The mage nodded. “The king took all of the magic from the realms, in the form of their crowns and scepters, thrones, and possessions. He’d learned to do as much from his old advisors, but he had no idea where to continue from there. He turned to an old blacksmith, who knew the magic necessary. He melted down the gold and formed three golden blocks, one for each defeated kingdom, and an enchanted crown. In exchange for the power, the king also sacrificed his own possessions, and a fourth golden block was formed. The blacksmith formed a tower from the blocks, and set it on an unbreakable stone. The tower was the source of great magic, but only the owner of the crown could use it, and it required a heavy price. The king and the blacksmith both lost their right to die in exchange for the power.”

 Gavin was absentmindedly flipping through his journal, thinking about how this part of the puzzle might fit into his project, but his thoughts got a little derailed as he began to wonder what it’d be like to be the bard who finally figured out the story of the tower. He smiled to himself.

 “Decades later, a man from the south of the empire began to rally an army to bring down the king. The blacksmith returned and shared that he’d omitted some information- The tower and the crown chose their owners, not the other way around. When placed on a prospect’s head, the crown would either accept its owner as king, or kill him. The king ordered the blacksmith to be banished for the omission that could have taken his life, and waged an all out war on the challenger.”

 “The king’s men destroyed the enemy. In one final show of power, the king had the challenger pushed to his knees, and the crown placed on his head. The crown morphed and twisted before killing the man. The king picked up the crown and returned it to his own head, where it morphed back to its original form.”

 Gavin scowled, shutting the book and leaning back. “That’s really not all that much new info, other than the crown being all murderous.”  
 The mage shrugged in response. “I know you’ve already got quite a bit of it. But now you have two sources claiming the crown changes form. The rest of the story explains that the crown’s power led the man to ruin- his family and friends all died, and he committed suicide after leaving the crown to an apprentice.”

  
 “Couldn’t he have made his family and legions immortal?” Gavin questioned.  
 “He tried, they all turned him down. Immortality is considered a curse in the western lands, that’s why he became immortal in the first place. The crown apparently takes something away before it gives power. The crown went down through one of the area’s countries, Achievementia, Prodencia or Lovard. That general area. The man said no one knows for sure who has it. All the neighboring nations claim to control it. He made it clear, of course, that he was certain Achievementia held it.”

  
 “So what I’m hearing is Achievementia _could actually be_ the strongest nation in the world? Really?” Gavin paused and his companion nodded.  
 He leaned back a bit and grinned. “I love a good underdog-rises-to-fame story.Thanks for the background, though. Should help me find my next lead soon.”  
 Gavin turned to see the mage nod again, and laid back on the small platform.

  
 “Do you know when you’ll be leaving town?”  
Gavin knit his brows before replying with a pointed look. “You know I can’t stay for more than a day. The guards are still minging about after the last time I visited. If I hang around too long they’ll catch onto me.”  
 “I know, I was actually thinking. The barkeep was wondering if you’d deliver a package for him. You should head over there before you leave.”  
 “Oh, uh- Yeah, I’ll make sure to stop by.” Gavin replied awkwardly.  
 “Alright. You’re welcome to stay the night as always. There’s still an empty bed.”  
 “Nah, I’ll rent a room down at the tavern. Been too long since I had any of Hilda’s mead.” He said, pulling his legs back and standing slowly. “Great talking to you, as always. I’ll see you later, then.”  
 As an afterthought, he added “I should be back in a couple months. Got to check out Achievementia.”  
 The young mage nodded, and Gavin stood awkwardly in the silence before heading downstairs. He waved at the few apprentices still studying in a huddle in the main foyer, and they smiled back at him. Probably the weirdest part of his travels was his return here- It was just bizarre to socialize and catch up with so many people after being an outsider in foreign lands for so long. Made it even more awkward to leave.


	2. The Bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait, but here's chapter two. I won't make any speculations as to when chapter three will come out, because I've mostly lost access to the internet and my computer. The good news is that chapter three's outline is 100% done, so when I get more stable access, I can get it done pretty quickly. 
> 
> Chapter 2 is unbeta'd for now, but It'll be updated once it is.  
> EDIT- My beta gave it a quick look over, and I'm really glad they did.

Gavin entered the tavern, and was unsurprised to find it exactly the same as always- a little run down, a bit too crowded, and entirely drunk. He scooted his way towards the young woman behind the counter, avoiding the throng of guys waiting for drinks. The town wasn’t too large, but it only had one brewery. A problem which the bar keep often mused about someone remedying, but he himself never touched.

Gavin greeted the woman with the cheekiest “Evening, Hilda” he could muster, and received Hilda’s signature I’m-glad-to-see-you-but-wow-you’re-an-idiot look in return.

“Gavin, Rusty’s been waiting for you to come around.”

“So I’ve heard. ‘Package’ for another client, right?” He said, inserting air quotes. “Been a while, actually. Is he still in that particular business?”

“Unfortunately. I’m surprised no one’s investigating that loon. He tried beating up an old woman in the fields last week. If they start looking into other parts of his life… “ She trailed off, and Gavin nodded knowingly. “The second he gets arrested, I’m out of a job. It’s a pain in the ass looking out for him.” The woman began filling some mugs for the group at the other end of the bar, but continued to talk. “That package needs to get to the village by the falls. Rusty’s offering a you a silver, and calling in that favor.”

“Hilda, you know that village is three days walking, right?” Gavin said. “There’s no way I’m taking that up there for a weeny little piece of silver.”

“Listen, I’m not involved in this deal, you know that. If you want more pay, take it up with him. Not my fault you owe _Rusty_ , of all people, a favor.” She said. She walked away to give the kegs to the waiting customers, then returned.

 

“Where is he? I’m going to demand more pay.” He said, trying to look serious, figuring Hilda might decide to forego Rusty and just bump up the pay a bit. Judging from the raised eyebrow, it didn’t work very well.

“Good luck with that, but he’s out. You want a drink while you wait? ” She asked. “Great new recipe. Very good.”

He eyed her suspiciously, a gesture which she seemed to take personal offense to.

“Come on. You know I wouldn’t give you anything if I thought it was toxic. You’re the only one who’s d- willing to try my newer stuff.” She said.

“You promise it won’t leave me sick?”

‘Of course not. It’s almost completely safe, I’m just not allowed to sell it yet.” She said, offering no more explanation and thrusting a mug of a swirling dark brew at him.

“Well. bottoms up then” Gavin reasoned, before taking a swig and spitting it right back into the cup. “Oh bollocks, why would you even-”

Hilda just chuckled while he gagged and coughed.

“That was _awful_! Why, just..? Why?” He asked, pushing the drink away and swearing to never again drink anything Hilda gave him. “I trusted you!”

“I never said it was good. I said it wasn’t toxic. Technically I said I didn’t think it was toxic.” She snickered, gesturing to the glass. “I’m testing if it’s possible to ferment pine needles. An alchemist suggested that it might do better than wheat.”

A man with graying hair and a stained shirt walked through the door with some bottles tucked under his arm and a bulging sack slung over his back. Gavin decided to pretend he didn’t notice the fact that it was moving.

“Did she test the new batch out on you?” The man asked, sidling up to Gavin and pointing at the glass. “I told her not to use bread instead of yeast.. “ The newcomer exclaimed, shrugging and walking around to the other side of the bar. His comment sent Gavin into another fit of coughs and assorted complaints, while Hilda glared at the newcomer.

“Thanks, Rusty. Now he’ll be like this all night. -And he wants to negotiate, so he’s your job now.” Hilda grabbed the discarded mug, addressing Gavin with a simple “He’s lying, just so you know.”

She turned another glance at Rusty before walking to the other side of the bar and taking care of some other customers just out of earshot.

Gavin struggled to get a hold on himself while the man leaned forward with his arms crossed. “So a silver isn’t enough, then?” He said. “You know I try to pay you fairly but it’s hard to make any money off of smaller orders like this. Paying you much more... Wouldn't be much of a 'favor'.”

“That village is forever away. I want bonus pay. Or a room at the inn. One silver will hardly cover me for the trip there and back.” Gavin said.

“That is sort of how having a job works. You know. You receive money, use that money to survive to get another job, receive money again. Et cetera.”

“Why would I want to live like I have a job? That sounds bloody awful.”

“Listen. Since you tried Hilda’s ...drink, I’ll throw in a nights stay and a meal.  That’s it, final offer.” The man took a gulp from a bottle that looked  a bit suspicious even in a bar, then grabbed a tankard from the shelf and filled it. “Either way, stay the night. It’s been too long since we had a chance to catch up.”

Gavin took the tankard. “This isn’t another one of Hilda’s brews, I hope?”

The man chuckled drily. “If she tried that shit with anyone but you, I’d be out of business.”  He leaned forward a bit and grew a bit quieter. “Look, kid. If you really need the money, I can set you up." If Rusty had been sketchy before, then Gavin didn't even know how to describe him when he got like this. 

"See those guys over there? They’ve been laid up here for a couple days, and they’ve told me they’re looking for someone to help guard a caravan going to the west. It’s leaving soon, but it goes by the delivery destination. You could do both.” He straightened back up, then smirked. “The transport isn’t exactly legal but I promise it won’t be like last time.”

“Really? I thought we agreed that never happened.”

“Not in the eyes of the law. But I’ll never forget. I never forget anything. Can’t.” Gavin saw the haunted look in his eyes that tended to precede behavior he’d rather avoid. “I’ll deliver your package, but if I get arrested, I will personally testify against you.” Gavin said, trying to change the subject before Rusty started talking about “the War” (that Gavin was fairly sure he was never in) and some imaginary foreign land called 'Vietnam'. “Do you know much else about the caravan? I was planning on heading west.”

Rusty replied absentmindedly “Fairly sure it’s heading to Prodencia, but not much more than that. Wait a sec-” He rummaged under the counter, then pulled out a box wrapped in dark, splotched paper. “Here. Bring it to the tavern and ask for Willis. They’ll know what to do from there.”

Gavin took the package gingerly, and heard Hilda mutter something that sounded a lot like ‘crazy goddamn anarchist’ as she walked by and into the back room. He tucked it away in his bag, and took the silver Rusty handed him.

“That caravan is running some shady deliveries. They won’t mind one more.”

Gavin hummed in something between approval and apathy, then turned to watch the men Rusty had pointed out. The caravanners sat in several groups, from the obvious paid guards, to the merchants, and the leaders. At one table, three men sat, wearing clothing normally seen in the deep south. They looked a bit shady, and it really didn’t surprise Gavin that they would be looking for new hires in a tavern.

Gavin paused, then gestured to his physique. “I don’t think-”

“I’ve done business with them before. Not my kind of people, but getting an ‘i owe you’ from you might persuade me to.. advertise your skill set.”

Gavin frowned, before nodding. Really the last thing he needed: Owing Rusty another favor.

Rusty smiled and set down his mysterious flask before heading over to the men Gavin assumed to be the caravan leaders. He watched them talk for a moment before deciding to slip off the barstool and walk over. Trusting Rusty to not screw him over in the long run was risky business. He ended up catching the back end of Rusty's pitch.

“-his best solo, but it shouldn’t be an issue. He’s got experience, and I guarantee performance.” Rusty shot him a thumbs up, and Gavin tried to ignore the caravanners while they sized him up. The older man turned to leave, and Gavin wished he could think of an excuse for him to stay; getting a job from Rusty was always a bit of a gamble, sometimes it worked out and sometimes Gavin was just happy to be able to leave with all of his limbs afterward. Like some weird wingman situation, except instead of a girl it was three old guys who dealt in the black market for enchanted hearts and human skulls forall Gavin knew.

“Rusty vouches for you?” One of the men asked incredulously. “To be honest..”

The second man shrugged, muttering something along the lines of “Beggars can’t be choosers.” in his general direction and cutting him off.

The third and final man spoke. “We need more manpower. Your job is to walk alongside the caravan and protect us from any raiders. Five silvers, meals included. If you can’t fight, we leave you behind. Good deal?”

Gavin nodded.  He wondered for a moment if he should mention his desired destination, but there was hardly a point. Hopefully they’d still pay him when he skipped off from the caravan before it reached his destination. Not his fault that Achievementia and his homeland were both in the west. They were still too far for any reasonable person to not just ditch the caravan in Achievementia.

“We leave in the morning. Be ready.” 

Gavin took the statement as a dismissal, and started to look around for Rusty or Hilda.


End file.
